When using a machine designed to alter or cut a material such as wood, metal, plastic, or other matter, it is usually necessary to position the workpiece accurately relative to the cutting tool to ensure the proper dimensions of the workpiece after the machining process. The procedure of positioning a workpiece relative to a cutting tool is often a repetitive procedure which is a critical step in the manufacturing process. The quality of the work product usually depends heavily on the accuracy of the positioning of the workpiece. A dependable method of accurately positioning the workpiece prior to a cutting procedure minimizes the waste of incorrectly cut stock.
In many situations when using a cutting tool it is necessary to make numerous cuts of different dimensions requiring the operator to reset a locator member or fence relative to the cutting tool many times, in other situations, pieces of the same size may be needed at different times requiring the user to accurately reset the locator member repetitively to the same position. A mechanical positioning device is proven to be a useful to accurately position a workpiece relative to a cutting tool and can be used with a wide variety of machines and power tools.
There are many mechanical positioning devices presently available having the ability to accurately position a workpiece relative to a power tool. However, many of the positioning devices available with highly accurate positioning capabilities, accurate to 1/1000th of an inch, are complex and expensive devices which are not easily adaptable to a variety of machines and power tools.
Less expensive mechanical positioning devices available are far less accurate in positioning capabilities and rely heavily on both the experience and the eyesight of the user. Many of these devices utilize a lead screw.
The present invention of a workpiece positioning device provides a highly accurate mechanical positioning device which can be incrementally positioned in increments as small as 1/1000th of an inch relative to a reference point. This device can be precisely positioned incrementally in seconds by an ordinary user and does not require years of experience or exceptional eyesight to accurately position a workpiece for cutting or other procedures. The present invention is accurate, dependable and economical to manufacture. The preferred embodiment of the present invention is constructed of durable materials which will not wear out or break easily. The design of the present invention is simple in comparison to other devices which provide the same level of precision and accuracy in that there are not a lot of complex or expensive moving parts which add to the cost of other positioning devices and which have a higher risk of being damaged or broken. One embodiment of the present invention is a portable design wherein the workpiece positioning device can easily be transferred from one machine to another for efficiency of use in small shops.